Many types of insurance policies provide coverage that is, at least in part, based on location or type of activity. For example, automobile policies provide coverage in a geographical area (e.g., such as within the United States). Commercial line insurance policies for contractors often provide coverage for a specific job site or location and for specific types of activities (e.g., a carpenter may specifically be covered for performing finishing work on a residential site, but may not be covered for roofing a home). Many types of service providers or contractors, such as commercial builders, carry small commercial line insurance policies which require that each job site the contractor works on be added as a rider to the small commercial policy. This ensures that the job site and the contractor's work (including their employees) are properly covered by the policy. Oftentimes, contractors forget to obtain these riders or fail to obtain them prior to starting a project. It would be desirable to make it easier for insureds to verify or obtain proof of coverage and, if necessary, to easily obtain any additional coverage needed.
Other types of insurance, such as personal lines policies, require riders or additional coverage for certain types of activities. For example, some personal lines policies require additional coverage for individuals who participate in certain risky activities (such as piloting a small aircraft). Many individuals fail to obtain this additional coverage as the process is not convenient. As another example, many automobile policies do not cover U.S. licensed drivers when they are in Mexico or Canada (or other countries), and require a rider to cover driving outside the U.S. Again, many drivers do not obtain such additional coverage, as the process is not convenient. It would be desirable to allow such coverage to be applied for and issued using a mobile device.
Frequently, events or circumstances or may occur for which a person or entity should have insurance coverage for, but they do not either through lack of awareness or an inability to easily obtain appropriate coverage. For example, homeowners or businesses that live in an area that is in the path of a forest fire or likely will be in the range of a fire during a particularly dry period may not be aware of their insurance options. It would be desirable to inform such individuals or businesses of their options and allow the issuance and binding of coverage using mobile devices.
Further, it would be desirable to provide proof of insurance as needed. For example, a building inspector visiting a job site may request that a contractor provide proof of insurance. It would be desirable to provide mobile device systems and methods which allow for ready proof of insurance to be provided.